This is a discussion of the belief handed down through generations that Thomas and Peter Lamar of France, fled to the new world to escape persecution because of their religion. It is believed that they were Huguenots, a name by which French Protestants were often called. They were followers of John Calvin and found a Presbyterian church in France in 1559. My purpose is not to cause a controversy. I just want to present information as I know it and try to find out the truth about my ancestors. I welcome all discussion about this topic and will include any documentation that you might have on either side of the argument.
The Huguenot Society has recently started denying membership to those who descend from Thomas or Peter Lamar/Lamore:
Here is the information from the will of Thomas Lamar which has called into question his being a Huguenot by the Huguenot Society. His will was written 04 Oct 1712 and proved 29 May 1714 in Prince George's County, Maryland:
The Edict of Nantes was a decree by King Henry IV of France in 1598 that gave partial religious freedom to the Huguenots. The decree ended a series of religious wars between Catholics and Protestants in France from 1562 to 1598. The Huguenots were granted liberty of conscience, allowed to build churches and hold religious services in specified villages and suburbs of cities, and were granted civil rights and the right to hold official positions. In addition, a special court was established for Huguenot protection in the parliament of Paris and some Huguenot pastors were paid by the government. These provisions were never fully carried out. The Peace of Alais of 1629 stripped them of their political power and persecution of the Huguenots resumed after 1681 especially during the reign of King Henry XIV. Henry XIV revoked the Edict of Nantes in 1685 and as many as 400,000 Huguenots fled France for Protestant Europe and America. This greatly weakened the French economy by driving out a skilled and industrious segment of the nations.
Thomas and Peter Lamar were not part of this mass exodus of Huguenots. They had come to America some 20 years before. They were definitely in Maryland by November 1663 when they received naturalization papers from Lord Baltimore. Thomas may have owned land in Maryland as early as 1659 as a survey was made on the eastern shore of Chesapeake Bay, Talbot County, for "Thomas LAYMOUR". They lived an unknown amount of time in Virginia before coming to Maryland.
Although no documentation has been found to prove that Thomas and Peter Lamar were Huguenots, neither has evidence been found that they were Catholic. The only inkling of a possible connection is the gift to "Preastt Mr. TURELL" in Thomas' will. Researcher Hazlehurst Beezer has found the only mention of a priest with a name close to TURRELL in a book Directory of Ministers and the Maryland Churches They Served by Edna Agatha Kanely. This priest was George THOROLD, 1670-1742, a Jesuit priest in St. Mary's County.
Why did Thomas make such a gift to Thorold? There could be many plausible reasons from owing him money to Thomas feeling like he owed him a debt. Cheves Leland, Archivist of the Huguenot Society of SC mentions in a post that "Father Thorold received a reprimand from his superiors in 1708 for having christened a baby in a Protestant home." He has not been able to find verification of this, but if true, could that home have been the Lamars? The post can be seen here: http://manakin.addr.com/huguenotforum/_disc2/0000002f.htm
If you have some information on this subject that you would like to share, please allow me to post it here. I would love to have as much information as I can on both sides of the argument. Maybe if we consolidate the information, we can find the truth.
SOURCES:
"Edict of Nantes", http://www.fwkc.com/encyclopedia/low/articles/n/n017000071f.html
Page 139 Thomas Lamar/Lamor and his brother Peter Lamar.
This line will need to be closed unless new further primary sources are discovered that prove the Family is Huguenot.
The naturalization does state "Subject of the King of France" but no reference is made to being Protestant or having fled because of their religion. In the 1713 Will of Thomas he leaves a sizable gift to the priest, Mr. Thorold. Father Thorold was a (sic) early Jesuit Missionary Priest in Cecil Co, MD between 1700-1742.
This raises a very perplexing question as why he would not state he was a refugee from France and second why would Thomas a Huguenot leave such as (sic) large gift to a Catholic Priest.
REF: Letter from the Huguenot Society of South Caroline Sept 1998.
Item. I leave unto the Preastt Mr. TURELL five hundred pounds of good cleane Tobaco.
History of the Lamar or Lemar Family, Harold Dihel Lemar
"Huguenots",Catholic Encyclopedia, http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07527b.htm
Naturalization papers of Thomas and Peter Lamore
"Revocation of the Edict of Nantes, (October 22, 1685)", Readings in European History, J. H. Robinson, ed., Boston: Ginn, 1906, Vol 2: 287-291, http://history.honover.edu/early/nonantes.htm
The 1999 Update to the Register of Qualified Huguenot Ancestors, compiled by Arthur Louis Finnell, Registrar General, Bloomington, MN, April 1999, page 904
Will of Thomas Lamar